Ramius Jr., or RJ, and his son, Ramius III, whom they called Rex, entered the cave, whose door was concealed within RJ’s study on the lower level of the large residence. They walked through the entry chamber which led to the command center, the habitat, and the labs.
Once inside, they entered the command center, sat at a table, and put on headsets that were equipped with displays. They were facing a wall, which was itself a large display, looking at images of the outdoor areas, as well as of the spaces within the cave facility itself. Most of the screen was blank.
“Rex, let’s pick up where we left off yesterday,” RJ’s voice crackled. He was old but was still sharp mentally. “I want to have you launch an underwater vehicle, and we will take it to the underwater station in the middle of the lake to do some maintenance and cleaning. Tomorrow, we will go out in the lake in gear. I want to make sure you are comfortable under the water. It takes some getting used to. Practicing in the airlock, you seemed fine. But once you get out in the open water, I hope you have no fear. For me, it took a long time to get comfortable with it. My father was worried that I wouldn’t be able to maintain things as needed if I was hesitant to get out into the water.”
Rex was a sponge, and his head hurt from all the new revelations he was encountering in the past few months since his father had brought him into the picture. It was exciting yet terrifying at the same time.
“I can do it, Pa. I don’t think I will have any fear.” RJ looked at his son, satisfied and proud of his resolve.
“Dream, flood the dock.”
“Starting the sequence,” responded Dream. Instantly, the blank part of the monitors came to life as a split window, both showing the image of the dock. Each man moved his head about, and they viewed their own images on their respective headsets while the main screen mirrored what they were seeing.
They watched the immediate response as the doors latched, the lights sparked to green, and the sound of moaning was emitted from the pumps and water. Seconds later, the water was already rising through the floor grating.
“We are taking number two out to the platform. Go ahead,” RJ announced.
The water reached the full level in the chamber, and the pumps stopped. Immediately, the main door opened. UV2’s lights came on, and it undocked from its charger and hovered, perfectly buoyant. It moved slowly toward the door, automatically controlled by Dream. As it left the dock and headed into the open lake, the cameras suddenly switched to two independent cameras on UV2. Rex was in the front, and RJ was behind and off to one side. The men also operated these cameras simply by rotating their heads about for rapid movement or merely by moving their eyes to center the image of interest.
UV2 then sped off toward the center of the lake, descending from about five yards of depth to about twenty-five yards as the lake deepened. It took only about ten minutes to reach the deep platform, which was circular and was held up about five yards off the bottom by a large column.
The column went through the platform, rising about three yards above it. UV2 touched down gently on the platform, which was big enough for several UVs to land on.
“Dream, go through the cleaning sequence, switch us to the column cameras, and then let’s go up for a look.” RJ gave the commands with all the ease and confidence of someone who had been doing these things, unknown to anyone, for over forty years.
The men watched as UV2 rose and deployed two mechanical arms. Rotating brushes began dusting the surfaces of the column and platform quickly and precisely, in a way that even several men could never conceive of doing. This made the operation efficient and a marvel to watch. The light clouds of algae that flew from the surfaces attracted various types of fishes that darted in and out of the picture. Minutes later, a slender column started to rise out of the top of the larger one and made its way to the surface.
“How often does this need to be done?” inquired Rex.
“She does it automatically every twenty days, alternating between the UVs. I just wanted to show you what goes on. Anything to do with maintenance, she will handle. If it’s inside here, Drake will handle it.”
“Who is Drake?” inquired Rex in a surprised tone.
“We will get to that.”
Just then, they saw the column approaching the surface and slow to a halt. There was a pause.
“At this depth, which is about two yards below the surface, she is scanning to make sure there are no nearby objects like a raft or a swimmer. The area needs to be at least three hundred yards clear on all sides before we go up.”
The column resumed its ascent, and the view suddenly switched to other cameras at the top of the column.
“There are three cameras all stacked on top of each other, and each can go around independently, so three people can be all viewing different places at the same time. Of course, it’s a rare thing to use even two.” RJ smiled.
As the cameras broke the surface, Rex gasped, chuckled, and started rotating his head. He then turned to get a look at the town and its building.
“This is fantastic, Pa!”
“Now, as you move your eyes around, you can see a dot. If you keep your gaze on that dot for just a brief moment, you can zoom in.”
Rex tried it, and suddenly the town came to him. He kept his gaze and let it zoom all the way. Suddenly, he was standing on the beach right in front of the Chair’s house.
“If you zoomed in already, just use your eyes to move now; otherwise, the camera will move to fast. Keep your head steady. You see?”
“I see! It’s incredible!”
“Dream, let’s fly!” commanded RJ.
“Sixty seconds. Please standby,” Dream responded.
On a sheer cliff high above the town and inaccessible to man, a small, rocky ledge suddenly rotated, revealing a concealed space. Out walked a bird that had roughly the size and appearance of a small hawk. Its wings were extended, and it looked quite natural, although its movements were slightly mechanical and deliberate. With a jump and a flap of its wings, the bird took flight.
“Now, son, don’t be alarmed.”
No sooner had RJ said this than Rex suddenly cried out.
“Ahhhhhh! Whoa! Pa! I’m flying! Ha ha ha ha!”
“Now, I will do the flying. You can control one eye just by moving your eyes.”
Rex stood motionless, just moving his eyes and taking in the scenery from a few thousand feet up. RJ moved his head to control the flight. He, too, was laughing. “How do you like it, boy?”
“I love it. Let’s go see the town.”
“Okay. We can’t get too close, but you can zoom in just like before. I will fly out over the lake, and I will show you where the lake cameras are. You need to know. This will be an area that you always need to keep restricted in the future.”
They flew over the town, and Rex zoomed in on some pretty girls out running a trail on the hillside. Then, he looked at the Chair’s compound, his current and future home as the next leader of Eden. As he soared, so did his spirits. There was so much adventure ahead of him. He could never have imagined.
Christopher entered his father’s house just as a small hawk silently passed five hundred feet overhead. “Where is my father?” he demanded of the guards who were standing watch at the entrance.
The guards remained silent, having been instructed to never give the whereabouts of RJ, no matter who inquired.
When pressed, they were to say that they simply did not know.
It was an obvious precaution, as much of RJ’s time was spent below ground, and not even family members were to be alerted to the fact that he was home but could not be found. So, he made his whereabouts a mystery, even to his closest family members. This was a sacrifice that he did enjoy.
“I asked you a question, you shit head! Where is he?”
“Sorry, sir. I don’t know.”
“Is he in the house? It’s a simple question.” Christopher had been through it countless times, as had the guards. He took it personally, fully believing that his father was deliberately trying to avoid him, and this had been going on as long as he could remember. He was unaware that everyone close to RJ had a similar feeling of inadequacy for the same reason. But with Christopher, the feeling of inadequacy ran deep. After all, he was “The Bastard,” as everyone referred to him. The mistake.
The feeling of being shunned and the reality of illegitimacy had weighed on his psyche for over forty years, and he was damned tired of it.
He walked straight in, not sure where he was going, but at least he knew that as family, he would never be stopped. All others would have been in an instant. That was something.
As he stormed in, he recalled an odd glance that he had received from another guard. His instincts were keen when it came to these matters. This glance provided a purpose for his intrusion—to find that guard. What a good-looking man.
Christopher roamed through the house. It did look as though no one was home, except for some housekeepers and others in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. His study!
That’s where he might be. He charged to the back of the house and trotted down the stairs to the lower level. Why on earth would the old fart want to spend his time down here? As he approached the study, two more guards stood at the entry. Yes!
There he is. The one I have been looking for, he thought to himself. “Men? Where is my father?”
“Not here, sir,” said the guard whom he admired.
“Oh please! Then why stand guard at this door?”
The other guard replied, much less respectfully and pleasantly, “We must keep this room and its contents secure at all times.”
Both guards had been trained to say exactly this all the time.
“I know he is there. It pains me to be kept from seeing him. How sad I feel. You men are cruel, and I won’t forget that—not even a little.”
The guards stood perfectly silent, looking straight ahead as he stared at them. Then, he saw his favored guard shift his eyes to meet his. Christopher’s heart jumped, and he felt excitement starting to build within him. They just looked at one another, while the other guard remained oblivious as he stared in the direction of the wall.
“Very well. I will leave you. Tell my father I will be at the lake pub later tonight.”
It was an absurd notion that the eighty-five-year-old Ramius Jr. would venture down to some pub late at night to meet his problematic bastard son. One of the guards nearly laughed out loud. The other suddenly had a date with destiny.
“Ma, where is my new shirt?” cried Moey.
“I think your father is wearing it.”
“What? Are you kidding me? I need to meet Marina at sundown. I’m late.”
“Oh, wait. Here it is!” she called out from across the house. Moey ran in, grabbed it, and started running out the door while trying to put it on.
“Bye, Ma!” he called out as he walked briskly down the road toward Marina’s house near the park in the middle of town.
Normally, he wouldn’t be late, because he would run.
But he didn’t want to get sweaty before seeing her. He was also carrying a special gift in his bag. Marina was bringing a picnic.
Moey made a detour over to Parker’s house. Parker’s mother always grew beautiful flowers that were easy pickings. As he walked by, he saw Parker, who knew what Moey had planned.
Parker ran out to taunt him.
“Mo, you lucky dog. Get it done!”
He was referring to Moey’s plan to propose to Marina that night in the park. Moey started poaching the best flowers he could grab, and he fashioned them into a makeshift bouquet.
“I will!” replied Moey with confidence. “It will definitely happen tonight!”
“Did you ask her old man?” The question immediately cut Moey’s excitement in half as he felt dread enter and dampen his mood.
“No problem, brother! I got it!”
“Okay! Good luck, buddy. Stay focused,” Parker said playfully but with complete sincerity.
Moey set out walking toward his dream, but he knew that he had to pick her up and possibly face Christopher, the most protective, paranoid father a girl could possibly have. Bestcase scenario when meeting Christopher was discomfort, but it was normally total humiliation. Still, Moey was unflappable, and despite these difficulties, he was not deterred in the least.
Moey passed two men on the road as he walked purposefully along. They corralled him, which he knew was unavoidable. They were elder intellectuals, but they considered Moey their equal, despite the huge age gap.
“Moey! Good to see you, boy! Talk to us about automatic woven fabrics and the making of linen from just weeds or grasses. It’s fascinating. We don’t know how you do it.”
“Sorry, gentlemen. I will be glad to share this with you, but at this very moment, I am late for a meeting,” Moey pleaded. “But let me show you something very quickly.”
Moey opened the gift bag he was carrying, which was intended for Marina, and he carefully pulled out a folded garment. It was feminine and a light tan color. He lifted the garment by the shoulders and held it up to let it unfurl. It was a very fine linen fabric—so fine that it had a sheen to it—that had been tailored into a beautiful, long dress.
“This is my new fabric. The sewing is compliments of my mother, but the fabric is my latest and greatest. Please come over tomorrow, if you can, and I will show you how I do it.”
“That would be absolutely special, Moey. We will come after lunch.”
“Okay. See you then.”
With that, Moey walked off briskly as the men watched the young man with admiration.
Moey arrived at Marina’s house and Christopher immediately walked out the front door and ambushed him.
“People think you’re a genius. I think you have them all fooled. Not me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Clever gadgets don’t impress me. And you like to play with vegetables? So what? That’s work for women and browns.
Well, I guess you are a little brown yourself, along with that little shit Mani. Now, he is really brown.”
Moey was starting to get agitated—angry, in fact— although he didn’t show it. He didn’t respond. Christopher looked at him with intense anger. His face was red, as if he were about to explode.
Normally, his insults were more diplomatic, clever, and done in a polite way. This was another side of Christopher. It was one that Moey had not seen, and he didn’t like it.
“You will not disappoint my daughter! Ever! Do you understand me? I know what you’re up to. Flowers? Please!
What’s in the bag? A wedding dress?”
Actually, it was. Moey was now becoming very concerned.
“Nothing. A gift,” Moey said deftly. “Will I be picking up Marina?”
“I don’t know! Will you be picking up Marina?”
“That was the plan.”
“Whose plan?”
“Our plan—mine and Marina’s. Will this be alright?”
Just then, Marina came rushing out, smiling broadly, and her eyes locked onto Moey. But she noticed his expression.
“What’s going on?” Marina asked.
“Moey is here to pick you up!”
“Daddy, are you drunk?” Christopher just smiled, staring Moey down in a peculiar way and looking half mad.
“Never mind. Go!” Christopher made for the house. “Do what you will.”
When he disappeared into the house, Marina and Moey locked eyes, looking concerned and confused. Suddenly, Moey broke into a smile. Then, Marina did the same, and they both started laughing.
“What’s so bloody funny?” they heard Christopher bellowing.
“Let’s go,” said Marina, and they trotted away as quickly as they could, making their escape and laughing all the way.
“What was that all about?” Marina asked after they rounded a corner and started walking. Moey grabbed her in an embrace, and they kissed.
“I think he is in a bad mood,” Moey said. “I thought he was going to attack me. Here … these are for you.” Moey presented her with the flowers, which she had barely had time to notice.
“How lovely.”
They walked along hand in hand and soon arrived at the park a few blocks away.
“Oh, I forgot the picnic.”
Just then, they saw Marina’s mother scurrying toward them, carrying the bag that her daughter had left behind. “Oh!
Thanks, Mother! I really didn’t want to go back there.”
“Darling, never mind your father. He is very upset today and acting like a crazed wolf. It has to do with his father.”
“Fine. I hope he gets over it.”
“Young man, you don’t worry about him. He doesn’t mean any of it. He likes you very much.” Moey smiled and nodded but he had his doubts.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“You two have fun.” Marina and her mother hugged, and then the elder lady turned and headed home.
“I wonder what the problem is this time,” Moey posited.
“He is always unhappy about RJ. Poor Dad. He just wants to be treated like a son, that’s all.”
The two of them found a nice shaded spot in the small park, which was very scenic with natural red boulders that resembled the surrounding terrain, some shade trees, and stone benches. They enjoyed their picnic, which included breads, ground chickpeas, and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.
Marina had even brought some special ale in a corked clay jar. A few sips of Ale allowed Moey to relax and forget the traumatic encounter with Christopher. He finally felt himself building up the nerve to do what he had planned.
“Marina, I am in love with you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”
Marina’s eyes became wide, as did her beautiful smile.
She acted surprised, though she wasn’t in the least. If he had waited even one more day, she would have made the proposal herself! Her genuine surprise was for the fact that he had actually come out and said it finally.
“Oh, yes, darling! I will. Of course!”
Despite the inevitability of it all, she felt the tears coming—tears of joy and relief. She felt so lucky, as did he.
Moey took his new creation from the bag. It was a dress like no other in Eden, made of a fabric like no other, and tailored exquisitely for a woman like no other.
Marina was now bawling as she held up the dress for size, which was, of course, perfect. Others in the park looked on, as both Marina and Moey were very noticeable figures and the closest thing to a celebrity couple that Eden had. The onlookers knew exactly what was happening, and some were running off to tell anyone who would listen what they believed had just happened.
Christopher sat at his private table with his friends Jacob and Perry. The weather was great, and the tables had all been shifted toward the edge of the patio, which met the beach, beyond which was the lake. It was the place in town where the wealthiest and most beautiful people hung out. Chris was neither wealthy nor beautiful, but he was the son of the Chair and was, therefore, a man of means. He held a senior government position that was on par with that of his halfbrother, Rex, but Christopher knew that he was a cast below him for obvious reasons.
Christopher believed that his limitations were all about the circumstances of his birth. He was blind to the other problems that most Edenites were familiar with, such as his angry temperament and his improprieties involving other men.
His friends were all like-minded men in terms of their sexual preferences, and some of them were very obvious. But Christopher had ceased caring what other people thought. He did what he liked with whomever he liked. Jacob was an old flame of his. They had been lifelong friends who, after not getting along as lovers, had returned to being just friends. Jacob was docile and loyal to Chris. He was always there for him with no hidden motives.
Perry was an entirely different matter. He was ten years younger, ambitious, and out to get what he wanted. He had been friends with Chris and Jacob for a few years, and he was still looking to strike up something closer with Chris, especially recently. Perry was highly intelligent and full of ideas, which Chris found stimulating.
“Let’s drink to my wretched old father. May he leave me a few crumbs when he finally croaks!”
“Chris, keep it down a little,” cautioned Jacob. Perry laughed hysterically, playing up to Chris.
“You deserve much more than a few crumbs, my friend,” replied Perry in a muted tone, and he raised his glass, trying to lift Chris’s spirits and his ambitions. They drank again.
“Listen, Chris, you are the potential heir. Don’t sell yourself short,” added Perry with a big smile.
Jacob was wary, but it was all starting to resonate quite well with Christopher.
“Hear, hear!” said Chris, and they drank again. He sobered himself a bit. “There is the problem of my big bro, Rex.
No doubt, he is Daddy’s favorite and his only choice.”
“Problems are made to be solved.” Perry stared directly into Christopher’s eyes—no smile … dead serious.
“Oh? How would you solve that one?”
“I don’t know exactly, but the fact is that if Rex was out of the picture, you’d be the next Chair.”
Jacob looked incredulous and horrified at the same time. “Guys! Keep it low. We’re having fun, but you don’t want this kind of talk to fall on any other ears,” he stated instructively.
“We are not having fun, Jacob. We are having an interesting conversation. But we shall keep it low,” replied Christopher, never breaking eye contact with Perry and now acting completely sober. Under the table, Perry stretched his legs out, and one of them brushed against Chris’s. Perry left it there. Still staring at Perry, Chris raised his eyebrow. “See, now you blew it. I was starting to get excited in a different way, and now you pissed on my fire!” Perry immediately withdrew his leg. Then, something caught Christopher’s eye. “Ahh. There’s my favorite guard.”
The men all looked over to the bar near the entrance, and there stood a chiseled warrior of Eden with a wandering eye. The instant he’d entered the establishment, he had spotted Christopher, as during his extensive training, he had developed the ability to be highly observant.
Christopher motioned to the guard to come over, and he immediately obliged. The guard felt uncomfortable, knowing that associating with these people in public would flag him as gay, and he had reasons for keeping it secret. But he was drawn by the power. It was too much for his ambitious nature to let pass by.
“Please, young sentry. Sit here. Sorry I didn’t get your name the other day.”
“Utah,” the guard said in a deep voice that shocked Perry and Jacob in a good way.
“Utah. Are you related to the council member Utah?” asked Christopher.
“Yes. He is my father.”
“Well, Utah, let me introduce you to my two very good friends, Jacob and Perry.” The men exchanged handshakes and pleasantries, after which Perry looked down at his hand to see whether it was broken. “We were just talking about my father and my brother. Now, that is a subject you know something about.” Christopher looked at Utah. Jacob and Perry breathed a little more heavily, concerned that Christopher might say something that ought not to be said. Their concerns were well founded. “Utah, my friends here seem to feel that I would make a great Chair. What do you think?”
Utah treaded carefully. “I believe you have the capability, from what I have heard.”
“I appreciate you saying that. Alas, it is not be. My father grows old and tired, and he spends no time with me—all with Rex. Am I to believe that I would even be considered?” polled Christopher, looking at those around him for some kind of insight but expecting no answers. Then, the unexpected happened.
“I don’t find Rex to be a good choice,” floated out in a deep voice. Jaws nearly dropped, but the group remained composed, savoring the words.
“You are in a position to know such things—perhaps even more so than I,” Christopher said artfully as he poured a cup of wine for Utah.
“No, thank you.” Utah raised a hand, declining the offer.
“What? You don’t drink?” asked Perry.
“No, I don’t. In my position … well … mainly, it’s because I train every day. I normally compete at the festival every year,” Utah explained, defending his position.
“Which event?” pressed Jacob, genuinely interested.
“Most of them.” The men laughed. Utah didn’t see the humor.
“Really?” asked Perry. “Like which?”
“The Mountain Run, the Crossing, Long Spear, Short Spear, Archery, and Knife.”
They all just stared and wondered why they hadn’t heard of this phenom, although they barely kept track of sports, if at all.
“Okay, never mind. Guys, let Utah say more about Rex. I want to know where he is coming from with such a bold statement,” challenged Christopher.
“Maybe I spoke improperly.” Utah had a look of concern. “I mean, it’s just an opinion.”
“Teasing us with nonsense.” Perry scowled, full of jealousy at this point, as he knew that Utah might be competing for Christopher’s affections.
“Yes, but why on earth would you state such an opinion if there were no reason behind it?” inquired Jacob.
“Utah, let me help you out,” started Christopher. “We all prefer the company of men. I assume you share this quality.
Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. You know that we are discreet. You can share with us, I assure you.” Christopher put his hand on Utah’s arm, squeezing a little and feeling the firmness. This unnerved Perry in particular.
“You’re right about me. But I wasn’t very sure until recently,” opened up Utah. He lowered his deep voice. “Rex … he … helped me.”
“Ha ha ha ha!” Perry cackled loudly, turning nearby heads and drawing unwanted attention. Utah looked down, thinking it had been a mistake to confess.
Christopher grabbed Perry’s arm and hissed in a muted voice. “You idiot! Shut up.”
Perry continued to laugh, silently convulsing as he attempted to regain his composure.
“Oh, Chris! You really are brothers,” choked out Perry, still struggling to hold his silent chuckle. Jacob smiled.
Christopher also appreciated the irony, yet his main concern was Utah and how to keep him from storming out of the place. The group settled down.
“I apologize for Perry. Idiot.” Christopher glared at Perry for effect, trying to settle Utah. “But, actually, what you’re saying is a complete surprise to us. I thought Rex was happily married with a grown daughter and living the dream. You mean he … and you …?” Christopher moved his head around, waiting for Utah to fill in the blanks.
“Yes.”
“So, I guess that’s over, and now you want to say unkind things,” stated Jacob.
“I guess so.” Utah pouted, still looking down and avoiding any eye contact with Perry. He then looked up at Jacob. “He seemed so convincing and great to me. He said so many things. Then, one day, it was as if I didn’t exist—not a word. And now, he won’t even look at me. But I still have to work for him nearly every day. Why wouldn’t he make a change and get a new guard? I hate it.” Utah paused. “I hate him.”
“Hey, you and Chris have a lot in common,” Perry taunted, smiling.
Utah glanced up directly at Perry. “I don’t trust you,” he declared in a way that communicated to Perry that this was probably not a good thing. Without breaking his stare, he continued, “You think this is a joke”? The power dynamic was now fully reversed.
Christopher broke the ice. “Why don’t you geniuses figure a way to get the right man into the Chair? Now, that would be something. Both strong-willed, young, smart, goodlooking. You two should be best friends, not at each other’s throats,” Christopher said, ever the master manipulator, as Perry and Utah finally looked directly at each other, taking full measure.
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